Wanting to demonstrate that “cities can be less impactful on the planet,” natural builder Lydia Doleman bought and remodeled a Portland house to demonstrate her values. Composting toilets reduce water usage while feeding the soil. Growing food shortens dependencies. Building materials were recycled and/or less toxic. She revised the floor plan to create spaces which encourage shared living rather than separate spaces. She also built Portland’s first permitted straw bale residence a cob studio and. Take a tour with Lydia in part 2. Episode 246. [theflyinghammer.com]
Natural Buildings for Urban Living (part 1)
By Janaia Donaldson, originally published by Peak Moment Television
November 18, 2013
Janaia Donaldson
Janaia Donaldson is the host and producer of Peak Moment TV conversations showcasing grass roots entrepreneurs pioneering locally reliant, resilient communities during these challenging times of energy and resource decline, ecological limits, and economic turbulence. We tour North America in our mobile studio, taping on location. Peak Moment Conversations are online at www.peakmoment.tv/
Tags: Buildings, Cohousing, compost toilets, strawbale building, Urban Design
Related Articles
How propaganda and false information are undermining humanitarian work
By Chloe Bruce, The Observatory
From vaccine hesitancy to conflict-zone rumors, false information is making it harder for humanitarian organizations to build trust, protect civilians, and save lives.
July 15, 2026
Why building inspiring alternatives is necessary to counter authoritarianism
By Barbara Peterson, Waging Nonviolence
Vulnerable communities face growing threats: the climate crisis is outpacing scientists’ worst predictions and authoritarianism is no longer a distant possibility. So what can we do? We build. We shift away from reform and instead direct our energy toward creating entirely new systems.
July 14, 2026
Why pronatalism won’t reverse birth-rate decline
By Nandita Bajaj, Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos, Repro Uncensored
Slower growth — and ultimately zero growth — is good for people and the planet, but not for those in power, who for millennia relied on women’s reproductive labor to produce more workers, consumers, and taxpayers. Today’s Trump-era and even progressive pronatalist policies try to reverse the trend, but there’s a reason why they won’t work.
July 13, 2026





